Can I (or my husband) file for spousal benefits while we allow the larger SS to grow? He will have a much larger amount than me. If I take mine SS at 62, can he file for a spousal benefit without jeopardizing his SS? He will get over 3000 at age 70. We want to preserve that/ Thanks!

Hi,

The answers to your questions depend on your and your husband's birthdates. Only people who were born prior to January 2 1954 are permitted to file just for spousal benefits at their full retirement age (FRA) without also being deemed to file for their own retirement benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/deemedfaq.html).

If your husband was born prior to January 2 1954 and you are drawing your retirement benefits, then it would probably be advantageous for him to file just for spousal benefits only at FRA while allowing his own rate to grow until age 70. Regardless, though, both you and your husband have many different filing options available to you, so you should strongly consider using our maximization software to compare your options and determine your best overall strategy.

Best, Jerry